The trailer for “Joyland” is finally out. The film that won 2 awards at the Cannes film festival, a first for any Pakistani film, is ready to release in its home country at last.
Most film lovers would have heard about it already. And if the trailer is to be believed, it’s a film worth experiencing.
The trailer jumps between the two halves of the life of a young man named Haider. In one, he’s the obedient and frustrated who’s trying to make things work. In the other, he’s entranced by a transwoman dancer named Biba and begins a job as one of her backup dancers.
It’s a taboo breaking subject in Pakistan, but it’s a film that only comes to life when there is a lot hidden and unaddressed beneath the surface of not just a nation, but a culture. The film shows conflict, of course, but also perhaps a lot of joy within that conflict. Maybe that’s the “joy” that ‘Joyland’ is hinting at with its title. The joy that we all try to extract between the conflicts surrounding our own lives.
See for yourself and judge for yourself on November 18th when “Joyland” finally hits theatres in Pakistan. Produced by Khoosat Films and directed by Saim Sadiq, “Joyland” will be released in Pakistan by Distribution Club.
